Threading and tension mechanism for loom shuttles



Aug 6, 1929- A. s. HUTcHlNs 1,723,423

THREADING @ND T ENSION MECHANISM FOR LOOM SHUTTLES Original Filed Jan, 30, 1928 l 'I :il:

a@ a? ze zal 53 j@ 4 JMW* 25 im H//m 5MM/m Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES ALLAN s.

PATENT OFFICE.

HUTCHINS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0' CROMPTON 8c MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAmNG AND Tension ivrnonnivisivrroa `LooM sHUTTLEs.

Application led January 20, 1928, Serial No. 250,360. Renewed April 6, 1929.y

This invention relates to :improvements in automatic shuttles for Weaving fine `varns such as silk or rayon, it being` the general obw `iect ot the invention rto provide improved plied with a fresh supply ot' Weit, it is essen.

tial that the shuttle shall be self-threading' `in order that the weaving operation may be continuous.

lt is, accordingly, an important object of my invention to provide a shuttle ywhich may be auton'iatically threaded at the time of transfer and also capable ot maintaining a uni'lorm tension throughout the Weaving operation, so that the finished cloth willi have al smooth appearance.

Shuttles for weaving` silk are customarily provided with tur or similar material on one or both shuttle walls alongside the bobbin, in order to oi'l'er a certain resistanceto the un` winding oit the weft and in order to prevent to a large extent any tendency ot the yarn to uncoil trom the end of the bobbin when the shuttle comes to rest. My improved shuttle includes,tension and take-up members which must be moved against yielding resistance d tiring the shuttle thrcaiding` oper-L ation, and :in order thaty this resistance may be overcome, it is necessaryftor the tur or other friction material to offer a re to the unwinding ot the yarn rwhich 1s someivhat `greater than the re,v 'ance oii'i'cred by the tensioning meinl'iers. It is an important object of my present invention to provide a shuttle wherein the resistance offered by the tur exceeds that. offered by the tensioningl members, so that the latter maybe moved to etibct threading. n

It is a characteristic ot artificial silk, such as rayon, that it lacks the inlunent resilience tance and elasticity which characterizes certain other yarns. As a result, if a slight amount of yarn has been drawn oti'in excess of that actually required, when thc shuttle comes to rest at the end of its flight, there will be no tendency on the part et lthe varin to take up the excess due to its vinelastic qualities. A shuttle will also occasionally rebound after enter-iner the shuttle box and a certain amount of yarn will be unwound and slackened by the slight rebound movement of the shuttle touf'ard` the selvage.

It is an .important part of ymy present invention to provide a slack taking-up device whichr will act on the occurrence of either of the conditions mentioned, keeping the filling taut between rthe shuttle and the selvage when the shuttle is boxed, so that the proper tension may be preserved. L

Certain kinds of silk yarn,` such as that used in some crepes, is made With'a very high twist, the eifiect of which 'is to cause kinks 01 snai-ls wvhenever there is slackness in the yarn. This slaekness may occur between the bobbin and the shuttle eye, with the result that a knot or kink is formed in the 'lilliugwhich will cause brealjiage orr undue strain when the shuttle is picked. A lurther object of my invention is to .provide a take-up device which will operate. to prevent the iorniation oit these kinks.

Another' object of my invention is to arrange the movable tension members with their,threading portions between. the bobbin and the pivots of said members, the Wett in threading being drawn ,in a direction` from the pivots toward the bobbin. The amount oit possible take-up increases as the Wett is positioned more distantly trom the pivots,

- due to the greater available movement oit' the inner or rearward ends of the tension members.

In the nnmut'actliire of wett yarn it inevitable that breakages willv occur, atter 'which the ends of the yarn must be tied together. These knots, although small, will nevertheless resist free passage through certain types et shuttle tension devices in use. lt. is a Lfurther object of ,my present .invenf .a smliciein tion to provide tensioninp` members so related to each other and to the wett yarn that the latter cannot be pinched between opposed surfaces but is caused to follow a tortuous path over smooth surface. Consequently, a knot present in the yarn will not be pinched between tensioning members but will be tree to pass throngijh a zigzag ourse over sur faces which will not impede its progress.

In weft replenishing looms, au essential result to be accomplished at the time or transler is the `disposal ot the wett end which ei;- tends from the bobbin through the shuttle eye7 between the shuttle and the shuttle binder, and back to the selvapje. or to a cut'ing mechanism located along its iaith. l. hen tension devices are employed which actually press the yarn between opposed surfaces, it is dillicult Ytor the yarn to slide tre-ely through the shuttle eye at the time the depleted bobbin is being` .Xpelled from the shuttle. By having` the tension members so disposeraL as notl to pinch the wett or to Contact with each other, l provide means whereby the trailing weft extendingl from the enr ty bobbin may be easily and quickly draw 'ough the shuttle eye at the time o't` traiiser, with practically no resistance. l consider this an important feature of my invention in connection with the successful operation of automatic weit-t replenishinglooms.

e It is a more particular object or my present invention to provide a pair oi oppositely moving; tension members which are pivoted about adjacentailesa located pL .rably below the lowest pointv which the ive 't is required to assume7 the tension n'icnibers having,` oppositely inclined portions which deiine ai entrance notch tor the Weit located to one side oit the pivots ot the n'nmbers, and preferably above said pivots7 so as to be more readily accessible to 'the Wett. In connection wth this feature of my inventiom l provid-e the tension members with oppositely extending bearing; portions which maybe spr in?l toward each other L amount to permit entry into their respective bearings.

I believe itto be broadly new ant1 an outstanding` Yfeature oit my invention to pro ide a tension device in `which separately and opgositely movable tension members act simultaneously to jointly tension the wett in a series or loops.

A specific feature of my invention relrtes to the use ot' a single resilient element eng; ing both tension members and effective to move both et' said members to their extrem or sepa ated positions.

lVhile the shuttle herein disclosed has been described with special reference to a wett replenishing loom, the shuttle is also of more general utility as a self-threading shuttle, either in an Aautomatic a non-automatic loom.

lily invention further relates to arrangements and combinations ol parts which will be hereinafter described onf more particular'- ly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preitcrred 'lorm of the invention is shown in the Adrawings in which l is g plan view of a n v innprovements;

Fig'. Q is an enlarged plan view of the threading end ot the shuttle7 partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side along the line et' l? Fig. el is a transverse .sl/tional elevation,

.n along the line '4V-l ot Fig. I3;

i is a view similar to lilo'. 3, but showing` .he parts in a diil'erent position: and

TTi (3 a partial side elevation oit the shuttle, looking in the direction or the arrow (5 in leiten-ing to the drawings, i have shown a shuttle comprising a body i0 lia-vini;y a bobbin ll. mounted therein and secured by the usual bobbin springs l2. Friction material i3 such as iur nia be provided to retard the unwinding el the wett from the bobbin. fr recess or thread ifassage lil is provided at the 'liront end of the shuttle and a rearvra dly and downrsz rdly extending delivery slot l5 'harmed in the side wall or the shuttle and communicates with the recess l-i.

liy improved tension and take-up mechanism is mounted in the recess l-l and comprises a pair et tension members le and 1S. The upper tension member lG comprises an upper loop having side portirns 2O and a closed end com ection Each portion 2O has a dewnwa dly and forwardly inclined leg; portion 20, and a curved connecting part providing a thread eye 2.

Vlie lower tension member 1S similarly comprises an upwari'lly and ibrwardlj," extending loop havingv side portions 2l vioined by an end portion Ll. ioiaiardly extending portions 2l are ned in Aonl'inuous t their r ends, Yhe legl portions 20 l in recesses in lrearinl` blocus 2li,

"e front and bach side vi; ls ot the lhrea@ i 'if 'with e ich other trani-ver rely shuttle embed 7ine' D eiination7 tahen lou (il curves to the side portions 2l, providing` additional thread eyes QT.

iv and 2l are bent outward to provide bearing pivot portions rthe portions are ccnterec l "1' which ai inserted tightly in iliockets in the l pasilhe portion. and 2i' alternate z the slnitle7 as indi ated in Figs. .3 and .ei

V tnsion members are resilient9 so that pivot or bearing ends can be yiehlingrly kether when ii ertionj the members allea said bearing l l' l springine' anari when released, thus irnny C L i f retaining tire tension men'ibers irom displacement.

T he tension members l@ and lS provided with oit-set portions l0 a i) which are preiera ly enoageo by llt) rubber band looped about a hook or pro]ectionv 341- secuied at the 'front end of the recess c 14. The rear end portions of the band 33e tend through transverse holes in an adj iisting screw and ai'e preit'erably knotted rearward of theholes as indicated in Fig. 3. The screw 35 has a close friction lit in the shuttle body and by turning the screw any desired tension may be placed upon the band 33.

It will benoted in Figs- 3 and 4t that the rearwardly extending portions ot the band extend between the oil'l'set portions 30 and 32 and are (lisplaced toward each other thereby, so 'that the band 32E-continually tends to sep* arate'the tension members 16 and 18, moving them iiromtl'ie position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 3.

Ars shown in Fig. 1, the top of the shuttle is provided with a plate P which lies inv front oitl the thi'ead passage 1.4L and partly covers the latter. The tension members 16 rand 21 ylie beneath this plate, as suggested. in Fig. 1,

being protected by the `plate and also being properly located so that the plate may assist in directing the thread to the tension members.

The inclined portions 20L and 21 oit the associated` tension members define an angular thread receiving notch N, shown clearly in Fig. 3, into which notch the thread T is di rected by the portions 2Oa and 21. The notch N being above the pivots of the tension members, the thread 'l may easily enter thenotch without interference with the pivot portions.

The threading operation is extremely siniple, the thread heilig drawn `ltoiwvard through the recess 14 on the .first flight of the shuttle.

and heilig giiidedrearward oit the looin by the plate l? to a position behind the tension members. The 'thread is then drawn sidewise oi' forward in the loom' along the delivery slot 15 during the returnliight of the shuttle,

which latter movement causes the thread to pass into they notch N above the bearing blot 2o,the thread tension tending to cause relative separating movements of the tension ineii'ibers. n f

The iti'iction material 13 in the bobbin serves to retard thejunwinding of the weft during tl'iethreading operation, sothat sulf- Liicient tension may be applied to the wett toV move the overlapping tension nien'ibers apart againstthe action of the/i'esilientpband 33.

As the movement of the thread contini'ies,

the nien'ibei's are inovedagainst the tension.

ot the band 33 past the position shown' in lf and the thread enters the narrow terminal portions or thread eyes 24 and 27 of the members 16 and Any suitable slotted delivery eye may be provided at the lower end ot the delivery slot.

Vil hen the loom is in operation, the shuttle is stopped very abruptly in the shuttle boxes ency to continue lo unwind, causing slackness and kinks between the end ot the bobbin and the shuttle eye. Any rebouinl ofthe shuttle aggravates this condition. Villien such slackness occurs, the tension i'nei'i'ibei'sl and-18 move apart, taking up a substantial amount oil weft an-d etleetively preventing` the forniation ol kinks within the shuttle recess.

During the ejectment of thedepleted bob?. bin irom the shuttle, the end of weft thread or filling extending from the bobbin may be easily drawn through the several parts of the tension device', as thei'e is no pinching of the threadbetween the tension .ineniliers There is therefore very little chance that the shuttle will carry the wett end from the old bobbin into the warp shed.

lt will be noted that the parts of the tension and take-up mechanism are exceedingly simple in construction, that they can be very readily assembled without the use ot tools, that the tensioii,thereon may be quickly and easily adjusted, and that replacement of the parts may be very easily made.

lt is also 'found that the iilistrilnition of wear, caused by the relative angular movements of the tension men'ibers, greatly prolongs the period o'tI service thereof.

Having thus described my invention and theI advantages thereof, I doinot wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set 'forth in the claim, but what 1 claim isz- 1.y In a self-threading shuttle having' a shuttle body with a 'forwardly extending threading recess ilorined therein and with a lateral wett delivery `passage connected therewith, in ciiinbination, bearing blocks tiXed, in

the side walls oi said `recess, and wett tensioir members pivoted in said lieaiing' blocks and lateral ly ciiiipressible for .removal therefrom.

2. In a selithreading shuttle having a shuttle body with a lorwardly extending threading` recess formed therein and with a` lateral wei't delivery passage rconi'iectial. tliei'ewith, in combination, al pair oit tension members pivoted at the 'front ot said recess y and each having an oliset portion adjacent its pivot, and resilient means engaging' saidr ol'liset portions to tension the weilteiigaged by said members.

3. In a sett-threading shuttle having a shuttle body with afioi'wai'iflly extending threading recess lornied therein and with a lateral weft delivery passage connected therewith, in combination, a pair oi tension members pivoted at the iront ot said recess and each having an odset portion adjacent its pivot, and a single resilient element having its end portions extending rearward between said oliiset portions, said end portions being displaced toward each other by said offset portions and exerting pressure to yieldingly separate said tension members.

5. ln a self-threedine` shuttle having` a shuttle body with forwardly extending` threading recess tiorn'ied therein and with a lateral wett delivery passage connected therewith, in combination, a pair ot tension members pivot-ed at their Jrer iard ends in said recess and having overlapping` wett engaging portions, a single resilient elen'ient engaging both oit said tension members and thereby tensit ne' the welt engaged by said members, and iriction means in said shuttle eliective to retard the delivery of we'lt to said tension n'ienibers during' the threading operation, whereby the weft may be drawn between said tension members.

6, ln a self-threading shuttle havingl a shuttle body with a forwardly extending thread passage lormed therein and with lateral welt-delivery passage coni ect-cd therewith, in combination, a pair oi weis-engaging tension members pivoted at their t'oiwvard ends in said shuttle and positioned adjacent the threading path olf the weft, and means to yieldingly move said members apart to tension the wett, said members being normally in selig-threading relation.

7. ln a seit-threading shuttle having a shuttle body with a forwardly extending` threading' recess formed therein and with a lateral wett delivery passage connected therewith, in combination, a pair ot separately and oppositely movable tension members pivoted in said recess, and yielding,` means to move each ot' said members away from the other member to tension the wett-engaged thereby said members being normally in self-threading relation,

S. in a self-threading shuttle having' a shuttle body with a `torwardly extending' threading recess 'formed therein and with a lateral weit't delivery passage connected therewith, in combination, a. pair of separately and oppositely n'iovable tension members pivoted in said recess, and ment engaging both o said members a id thereby tensioning the welt enfrap'al there said members being; norn'ially in seit ing; relation.

9. in a seliS-threaiding shuttle havingg` a :brittle body with a forwardly extending,`

ateral welt-delivery passage connected therewith, in combination, a pair ot threadengagingy tension arms positioned in said thread passage and pivoted at their forward hrend passage iorn'ied therein and with a ends respectively in said shuttle, and means to yielding'ly move said arms to tension the weft, each of said arms having,- a return por- Jrien, and said return portions overlap pinpr in self-threading relation across the path of the weft when said arms are in their normal position.

i0. ln a self-threading shuttle having a shuttle body with a forwardly extending thread passage formed therein and with a lateral wett-delivery pass-agie connected therewith, in combination. a pair of threadengaging tension arms pivoted at their forward ends in said shuttle, each oi said arms havinga return portion jrojectingY forward nbove the path oli the we gt, and means to n ly move said arms to tension the weft. la a sell-threadingy shuttle havingl a shnstie body with a i'oiv-:ardly extending i thread passage formed therein andI with a lateral wett-delivery passage connected thereto, in combination, a pair ot tension members each mounted on spaced pivot bearings, one at the 'iront and the other at the bach ot said main thread passage, and means to apply tension to the wett through movement of said members, said members having' overlapping portions extending toward the longitudinal center ot the shuttle and adapted io be engaged and moved apart by the tensioning of the weft drawn therebetween dnring the self-threading of the shuttle.

l2. ln a sel'i"'-threading;` shuttle l'iaving` a shuttle body with a forwardly extending thread passage i'omed therein and with a lateral wett-delivery passage connected thereto, in coinbination, a pair or 'tension members each nioimteiil to turn on horizontal pivots adjacent the threading path of' the wett, and iii-cans to apply tension to the wett through movement of said members, said members having' portions extending toward rthe long"- tndinal center oli the shuttle adap ted to be en- `ra-ged and moved apart by the tensioning of the weft drawn therebetween during; the seltthreading oi' the shuttle and each member ha ving interengaging portions lin'iitinp` such longitudinal threading movement ot the wett relative thereto.

i3. ln a self-threading shuttle having a shuttle body with a forwardly extending thread passage formed therein and with a lateral weft-delivery passage connected therewith, in combination, a pair ol threadengaging tension members pivoted at their 'forward ends adjacent t ie threading path or the wett, means to yieldingly move said nicmbcrs to tension the weft, and means to lguide the weit to the rear side of the weft-engaging portions oli' said tension members as said weit is initially inserted 1n said thread pasln a se shuttle body lll) threading' recess formed therein and with a lati-,eral wett delivery passage connected therewith, in combination, a pair out movable tension members pivotally mounted at their torward ends .in said reeess and having overlapping wett-emerging portions, resilient means to move said tension members in opposite directions to tension the wel't engaged thereby, and :friction means in ysaid shuttle effective to retard the deliveryfo'l. wei'ft to said tension members duringy the threading' operation.. whereby the wett may be drawn between said tension members.

l5. In a selit-tlneading wett-tensioning` and slack take-np shuttle to operate with a wound mass ot wett, a weft tensionin,eand slack take-np unit leeated at one end ot the shuttle, said unit comprising' a pair of enacting members, means defining a pivotal support for s. d members, said members having overlapping portions which extend in a direction trom the pi vola] support toward. the wound mass or wett., yielding;r means in contact with the wound mass ot wett effective to otter a rrelatively high resistance to the unwindingz,` ot the wett, a nd yieldingmeans engaging said men'ibers and eihictiveto otter ay less resistance to separating movement oitl said members to permit entry oit the weiit therebetween, the wett during the threading oit the. shuttle movingl along the members in a direction away from the pivotal support and towards the wound mass of weft, and the weft when in .final normal position engaging those portions of the pivoted members which are most remote from the pivotal support.

16. In a self-threading weft tensioning and slack taking-up shuttle to be replenished by a full Carrier ot weiit to be moved into the shuttle .from one tace thereof, a pair oit relatively movable wett engaging, tension members having,Y overlapping portions defining` a notch, and pivotal supports for said members, said supports being so positioned that the notch between the supports and` that face oi the shuttle :from which a full weft carrier enters the shuttle.

17. 1n. a self-threading shuttle havingT a shuttle body 'with a vforwardly extending threiulin recess formed therein and with a lateral wett delivery passage connected therewith, in combination, a pair o: separately and oppositelymovable tension .members pivoted .in said recess at opposite sides thereof, and yielding means to move both of said membersI to tension the welt engaged thereby said members being laterally oompressible 'tor removal. from said shuttle.

i8. In a. selit-tl'irea(ling shuttle havingl a shuttle body with a 'tfnwardly extending thread bassage formed thereinand witha lateral welt-delivery passage connected thertmfith, in combination, a pair of weft-engaging tension members pivoted at their iterward ends in the opposite side walls of said shuttle below the tln'ezn'linj. path of the weft and positioned adjacent the threading path ot `the wett, and means to vieldin `fly move said members apart to tension the wett.

In testimony whereotl I have hereunto aitlixed my signature.

ALLAN s. HUTCHINS. 

